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Wed, 26 Aug 2026

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 Meta's $18bn settlement may hasten reckoning for social media on child safety

Perhaps our days of doomscrolling are numbered, writes the BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman.
The trial centered around Meta's handling of children's data under the age of 13 and allegations that the company knew about but failed to address issues related to children's safety on its platforms. As part of the settlement, Meta has agreed to implement new safety features for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook, including:
* A two-hour time limit for use of both platforms, which will be a default setting
* Muted notifications between midnight and 06:00, and on school days between 08:00 and 15:00
* Hidden likes on posts and content for teens
* Efforts to better identify children on its platforms The new features will either be made default or an option for teens within six months. However, efforts to improve child identification will take up to a year. Meta's decision not to admit wrongdoing has raised questions about the effectiveness of the settlement in addressing the issue of social media's impact on children. Experts have welcomed the move as a "game-changing moment" for social media, but say that other platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat may also need to follow suit if they are to maintain their global competitiveness.